Hold-down device for automobiles



March 25, 1930. 1, FRIEDLAENDER 1,751,512

HOLD- DOWN DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Aug. 27, 1928 Inventor A Home y Patented Mar. 25, 1930 ISIDORE LEO FRIEDLAENDER, OF D ETROITQMIGHIGAN I Bonn-Down ionvron FOR AUTOMOBILES Ap'plicationfilcd August 27, 1928. Serial No. 302,266.

My invention relates to a device for anchorlng automobiles'to the floor ofa freight car, ship orother means employed for trans- I porting vehicles; 7 The primary object of the present invention is to provide a hold-downdevice for automobiles which is simple'and of inexpensive 'construction emay be readily applied and is adapted to effectually secure the 10 vehicle against any tendency to shift from its position upon transit.

A! further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable device including av 16 looped portion for engaging the spring, axle or other part of an automobile, connected with a footing secured "to the floor which may be rotatably adjusted With reference to the looped portionin order that'the footing may-be placed to avoid cracks'or knot-holes in the floor or deck that a suitable nailing support maybe obtained.

A- further object ofthe invention is'to provide a degree of flexibility between the hold- 95 down device and the vehicle, whereby the vehicle may automatically adjust itself to the shocks caused by curves or other variations of the railroad track. A further object of the invention is to provide means for-regulating the altitude of the I adjacent the latter and therefore readily ao- 7 cessible for adjustment.

With the foregoing and other objects View which willappear as the description proceeds, the invention further resides in the combination and arrangement'of'parts' and in'the details of construction hereinafter de scribed and claimed, it being understood thatchanges may be made in the precise em- --Figure 1 is a fragmentary the floor or deck'while in 1 bodiment of the invention herein. disclosed 7 without departing from the spirit of the same. I v In the drawings accompanying the specification: g r a mobile graphically'shown in dottedlines in dicating the application of the hold-down device to the springs of a vehicle to secure the latter to a car or other floor. r

.Figu're 2 is a perspective view of the hold-- down device on a relatively larger scale.

Figure 3 is an elevation of the deviceshowview of an auto- W ing the head of a bolt connecting the'fioor member with the loopedmemberstraddling,

the springs of the vehicle the headjofthe bolt being held against rotation by theside walls of the footmember.

placed upon the drawings: 3 j

A; denotes a motor vehicle. therear wheels of the vehicle restinghpon the floor of a freightcar or other support Gdenotes the hold-down oranchoringdevice consisting of, a strip ofisheet metaLD,

Referring now .to the letters of reference B indicates a; V

bent into U-shaped form to'provide a pairlof downwardly extending legs D adapted ,to

., 'straddle the springs E ofthe. motor Vehicle. vThe end oft-he legs D} are bentat, right'an- .gles and overlap each other, forming, X shoes D? with returnbends D overlappingthe r espective right-angle portion of thee-legs to increase the thickness of the wall of theshoe; it beingapparent that in. thelevent: of any lifting tendency. of the vehiclefwhen anchored by thedevicef to thefloor that the,.overl-ap-,

ping marginalendswill have no ,tendency'to separatebut onthe contrary-will be drawn together. E denotes a foot-plate provided with a plurality ofperforations E yto receive nails" for securing it to a floor or deck. I The foot -plate E is formed with an inverted channel E ;ex tending transversely across the platejfor a socket may be provided to receive the head of a bolt, struck up from body of the plate. 7

F indicates a bolt projecting upwardly through a hole in the channel Wall,-the head of'the bolt being held against turning by-the side walls of the channel; "The bolt-F a1soexbe connected with the axles or other parts of the vehicle.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A device or" the character described,

7 comprising a single strip of sheet metal bent into substantially U-shape form to provide legs adapted to straddle a part of the vehicle, the ends of the legs being bent inwardly in overlapping relation and punched with registering bolt holes; a floor plate formed of sheet metal; means for securing the floor plate to the floor; a bolt relatively short extending through the floor plate and through the overlapping ends of the U-shape member means between said floor plate and said bolt for maintaining the bolt in substantially vertical posit-ion against turning movement; and nuts screwed upon said bolt to adjustably secure the U-shape member on the bolt.

2. A. device of the character described, comprising a single strip of metal bent into substantially U-shape form to provide legs adapted to straddle a part of the vehicle, theends of the legs being bent inwardly in overlapping relation and punched with registering bolt holes; a foot-plate tormed'of sheet metal with a channel and a hole through the wall of the channel, said foot-plate being also perforated for nails to secure said plate to a floor; a bolt extending through said hole in the channel wall of the toot-plate and through the holes in the inwardly bent portions of the U-shape member, the head of said bolt being lodged in the recess formed in the foot-plate; and nuts screwed upon the bolt above and below the inwardly bent portion of the legs of the U-shape member, whereby the altitude of the U-shape member may be regulatedand secured against lateral movement when adjusted.

3. In a device of the character described, comprising a single strip of metal bent into substantially. U-shape form to provide legs adapted to straddle a part of the vehicle, the

ends of the legs being bent inwardly in overlapping relation with registering bolt holes through the overlapping portions; a footplate formed of sheet metal with an inverted channel portion extending transversely across the plate midway of its length, with a hole through the channel wall for the passage of a bolt, said foot-plate being also perforated to receive nails, whereby the toot-plate may be secured to a floor; and a headed bolt, having its head lodged between the walls of the channel, extending through the channel hole in the wall of the foot-plate and through the I holes in the inwardly bent portions in the U- shape member; and nuts screwed upon the bolt above and below the inwardly bent portions of the legs of the U-shape member, whereby the altitude of the U-shape member may be regulated and secured against displacement when adjusted.

4. In a device of the character described, comprising a single strip of metal bent into substantially U-shape form to provide legs adapted to straddle a part of the vehicle, the legs adjacent their ends being bent inwardly in overlapping relation with the marginal ends of the respective legs having a return bend superposed upon the inwardly bent portion 01"- the respective legs; said inwardly bent portions having registering openings therein; a foot-plate of sheet metal formed with an inverted channel extending transversely across the plate and a hole through a wall of the channel, said toot-plate being also perforated to receive nails, whereby the footplate may be secured to a floor; a headed bolt having its head lodged in the channel 01 the toot-plate and extending through the hole in the wall of the latter up through the openings provided in the overlapping inwardly bent portions of the U-shape member; and apair of nuts screwed upon said bolt above and below the inwardly bent portions of the U-shape member, whereby upon adjusting said nuts the altitude of said U-shape member may be regulated and afterwards secured.

5. In a device of the character described, a one-piece metal, substantially U-shaped member adapted to straddle a part of the vehicle, the free ends of the legs of the substantially U-shaped member being directed inwardly into overlapping relation and provided with openings, a floor plate, a threaded bolt secured to the floor plate against turning movement therein, said bolt passingthrough the openings in the inwardly directed overlapping ends of the substantially U- shaped member, and nuts operable on the threaded bolt above and below said inwardly bent portions whereby to adjustably mount and support the substantially U-shaped member directly on the bolt and maintain the said member spaced from said floor plate.

6. In a device of the character described, a floor plate, a threaded bolt secured in substantially vertical position on the plate against turning movement thereon, a. member adapted to straddle a part of a vehicle and having overlapping portions provided with aligning holes which embrace the bolt above the floor plate, and nuts on the threaded bolt to clamp said overlapping portions vtion.

said bolt, and means engageable With said member and operable on the threads of the bolt to adjust said member and to maintain the member supported Wholly on the said bolt.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specifica- ISIDORE LEO FRIEDLAENDER. 

